Display holder



R. M. ROBINSON AND H. McDONALD.

D |SPLAY HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG-25, 1.920.

1,404, 1 4, Patented (1 311. 17, 1922.

H r y M. McDonald. 361 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AND HARRY M. MCDONALD, OF COLUMBUS DENTAL MAN UFAC- TURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DISPLAY HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed August 25, 1920. Serial No. 405,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT M. ROBIN- soN and HARRY M. MCDONALD, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbia, county of Boone, State of Missouri, and Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved display holder for use in conjunction with artificial teeth, and has for its primary ob ject to provide a structure in the form of a holder which is of such nature that artificial teeth may be quickly and positively connected therewith for purposes of display and yet may be readily disconnected from said holder whenever desired, the construction being such as to permit of the handling of the mounting upon whiclrthe artificial teeth are carried and to enable such mounting to be subjected to the jolts and stresses incident to handling operations, without permitting the teeth to become accidentally disconnected from their positions of application upon the holder or mounting.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the improved mounting for artificial teeth, which forms the subject of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the plane disclosed by the line 22 of figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the plane indicated by the line 33 of figure 2.

In the accompanying drawing the improved mounting or holder comprising the present invention has been indicated by the numeral 1. This member is adapted to be used for the purpose of displaying artificial teeth and to provide means whereby such teeth upwardly so that their slots will retained in their positions of application upon the mounting. In way of introduction it may be stated that dealers have experienced some difficulty and annoyance in handling artificial teeth for the reason that when such teeth are placed into or removed from retaining cases or receptacles the mountings therefor are naturally subjected to a certain amount of shock and jar, which in the past has frequently resulted in a considerable number of the teeth becoming loosened or disconnected from, their positions upon the mounting, thereby necessitating a tedious replacement of the teeth as well as supplementing the teeth which inevitably become lost by such accidental removals However, it is believed that by the use of the mountmg comprising the present invention these other analogous objections on the part of those handling artificial teeth will be eliminated, and a device provided whereby the teeth may be securely mounted in a manner that will be free from the objections of displacement and loss.

To illustrate the invention the mounting 1 is shown as being employed for the purpose of supporting a plurality of artificial teeth 2, in order that the latter may be handled and displayed in the aforesaid manner. These teeth, it must be observed, may be of any desired formation, construction, or manufa-cture and it should be particularly noted, therefore, that the same need not be of the make and design disclosed in the drawing and hereinafter more or less specifically referred to and described, but that the inven tion is adapted to be used in conjunction with many other varying types of artificial teeth, and it is intended that the scope of the invention shall be so construed. The teeth 2 are each formed to comprise a body portion 3, which embraces a curved front 4 and may be made of porcelain or any other suitable material, the rear face 5 of the body portion is provided with a vertically disposed slot 6, whose lower end terminates an appreci able distance above the cutting edge 7 of the tooth and thereby defines a smooth unbroken portion 8 therebetween. The slot 7 is so formed as to embody a relatively enlarged inner portion 9 and a restricted lateral outlet 10 which opens to the rear face 5 of the tooth 2. The mounting 1 consists of a base or backing 11 of any suitable size or formation, the same in this instance embodying a row of spaced holding members 12. Each of the latter is formed to comprise a pointed shank portion 13, which is suitably driven into the backing 11 so as to be embedded in the latter and to be thus rigidly positioned, the shank portion terminating outwardly in a relatively enlarged cylindrical head 1%. This head is adaptedito be received within the inner portion 9 ot the slot 6, while the contiguous portion of the shank 13 is positioned within the reduced outlet 10 of said slot. By this construction it will be manifest that the teeth 2 may be connected with the members 12 by positioningthe open upper ends of the slot (Simmedia-tely beneath the outer projecting ends of the holding members. Then, by moving the teeth upwardly,the outer ends of said holding members will be positioned within the slot .6 so that the teeth will be fastened to the backing 11 and prevented from separating outwardly or laterally from the latter.

Prior constructions have nsually relied upon the friction between the heads ot the holding members and. the interior walls as above stated, when this happens the teeth are liable to become lost or. at est, a considerablc amount of tedious labor is involved in effecting their replacement, To overcome this, thepresent invention contemplatr. pr viding a longitudinal groove 15 within the backing 11 ata position beneath the members 12, said groove being so disposed as to extend in parallelism with id holding members. In this groove there is seated a strip 16 of rubber or some other equivalent material, and it will be observed, upon reteren'ce to 'figure 2, that the strip 16 is of such cross sectional area that its outer race will extend an appreciable distance-be yond the companion taco l? of; the backing 11. By virtue of this constrm-tion it will be manifest that when the teeth '2 are "connected with the holding memberris,

I, [L will be necessary to compress local portions of the strip 16 in order that the upper ends 01 the slots 6 may be positioned to re withthc enlarged heads of the holdlng members 12. Then, when the teeth are connected vith the holding members by forcing}; the

teeth upwardly so that their slots will receive the holding members in the manner disclosed in Figure 2, it will be evident that the compressed state of the strip 16' will be retained, so that said strip may exercise its resilient force in maintaining sufiicient friction between the holdlng members and the teeth to prevent accidental disengagement of the latter from their positions of application upon the loacking'll.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent thatthe present invention provides simple, practical and eflicient means for permitting of the display of artificial teeth in connection with their holders or, mountings, and that the arrangement is such that, while the teeth may be readily detached yet their connection will be such that the same will be prevented from becoming accidentally disengaged from connection with the holding members. lVhile the foregoing description specifically sets forth what is now believed to be the best mode of applying the principles of the invention, yet it should be understood that thedescription' does not necessarily measure the invention,

except as the'latter is defined by the following claims.

vVhat is claimed is I,

1. A display mounting for artifical teeth, comprising a base of suitable form, a'hold ing member rigidly carried by said base and having a projecting end, said end being arranged tordetachable connection with an artifical tooth, and a resilient element carried by said base servingto engage an artificial tooth when carried by said member and to exercise sufiicient pressure thereon to retain the top in secured engagement with said member. 7 Y

2. A display mounting for artifical teeth, comprising a base of suitableform, a holding member having an enlarged projecting )ort'ion carried'b 7 said base the )ro'ectina'.

, a l a portion o'l said member being arranged for slidable connection with therear face of an artitical tooth, and a rubber insert designed for engagement with the rear face of said tenth, whereby the latter will be maintained in secured engagement with said holding member. I I

3. In a carrier for artificial teeth, a base, a inetul'clip embedded in said base, said clip being provided with an enlarged head arranged to project beyond the tooth receiving snriace of said base, said head being positioned so as to be slidably received within aslot formed in the rear face of an artificial tooth, and a rubber insert embedded in said base and having a portion arranged to project beyond thev tooth receiving surface of said base. whereby said insert will be positioned to engage the rear face of a tooth received bysaid clip and to prevent accidental disengagement ot a teeth from engagement with said clip.

In testimonywhereotwe atlix oursignatures. 4 V

'ROBER-T M. ROBINSON. HARRY M. MCDONALD. 

